Well, that wasn't the ending we were looking for. The most difficult three games we've had to endure since May of 2022, when Adley came on board. However, looking at through an unemotional lens, it's been a near historic streak of competence, one that we particularly can't take for granted as Orioles fans. But it's okay for this to sting in the interim. And sting it does...
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| Photo: Richard Rodriguez/ Getty Images |
This team had given us all astronomical hope after going wire to wire as, objectively, one of the best teams in baseball. They lost 110 games just two years ago. The gravity surrounding the turnaround was slow to take, but captivating by mid-summer when it became evident that Baltimore was on the big stage to stay.
Naturally, John Angelos chose then to insert himself as wet blanket and jerk the fan base around, with talk of difficulty negotiating the lease and a substantial rise in prices. It was certainly irritating, unnecessary and trollish for the little man to put the spotlight on himself in that moment, like he's ever actually accomplished anything riding daddy's coat tails. As a silver lining, it did unify a fan base that was getting increasingly anxious around the lack of activity at the trade deadline. For at least a moment, every Orioles fan could identify their team and their common enemy. And it wasn't Mike Elias.
Is it possible that was part of the spark that fueled Baltimore to the second best record in baseball from August 1st on, wanting to shut Angelos out of the storyline? Camden Yards was regularly packed, even on weeknights. The starting rotation quietly became one of the tops in the league. Momentum was seized in the middle of the month by surpassing Tampa Bay in the AL East standings and they never looked back. It honestly felt like six weeks of playoff ball-- not just a sad, three game sweep.
But alas, it is our offseason now, as we watch the remaining teams battle it out for a World Series trophy that felt so distant just a few short years ago. This is just the tip of the iceberg for the Orioles, time to recalibrate and take the next step.
Before I call it a season on the baseball blog side of things, here's a few final takes on a fun ride:
Playoff Thoughts
-Brandon Hyde's seemingly getting a ton of flack for how he handled the starting pitchers against Texas, which I don't understand at all. Could he have maybe pulled Dean a batter or two early? Sure, but those saying he should've started Gibson over Kremer were all revisionists. Can't blame the managers for sending his hottest arms out there, just unfortunate they got shelled the way they did
-The bats were nonexistent for too long, deep holes dragged morale down and momentum was impossible to build. Correspondent Kevin said after game one that this reminded him of the 2014 Kansas City series. Sadly, he was correct-- it was just about as helpless
-Shoutout Jorge Mateo for actually having a nice series
-Texas is a really good team-- a strong mix of up and comers plus veteran talent has culminated over the last few weeks. They won't be an easy out this postseason. Baltimore would be wise to replicate a similar strategy. Don't love all their decisions, but the product's panned out thus far
Seasonal Thoughts
-Per my timeline, as official as we want to consider that, the Orioles were a year ahead of schedule with this success. We were able to infuse some of the marquee guys from the farm as catalysts throughout the season, but 2024 should be the real beginning of the boom. The AAA champion Norfolk Tides are overflowing with talent, giving Mike Elias his pick of who to bring up-- and who to package for a marquee starter. With none on the open market, a splash move like Minnesota swung for Pablo Lopez would be welcome. I think we could probably find one more bat within the organization, but wouldn't unwelcome a productive free agent hitter either
-Kyle Bradish's emergence was such a critical development for the franchise. The man projects to be a legit ace, easing the pressure on finding a blue chip starter. But they need better then Kyle Gibson or Jack Flaherty
-I talked a lot of shit on Anthony Santander in April and he shut me up from there on. Dude had an awesome season, providing numerous sparks and a power bat in the middle of the lineup. Hoping we can extend him on a team friendly deal
-Gunnar Henderson's a lock to be the AL Rookie of the Year. .255/28/82, after a slow start at that. He's a high motor, insanely talented foundational piece, who'll earn the team an additional first round pick when the award becomes official. Let's extend him now...spread the love.
-Brandon Hyde should be Manager of the Year also, without a shadow of a doubt. The end result wasn't what we wanted, but this team overachieved by every metric. And he seemed to be at the center of a lot of it. A player's coach, thrilled to have him.
-Grayson Rodriguez' turnaround after his brief demotion was a thing of pure beauty to witness. Playoff game aside, he looks like a quality mid-rotation starter at a minimum, with ace potential up his right sleeve
-Adley Rutschman definitely gives off Buster Posey vibes. Really quality year under his belt, at the dish and behind it
-Ryan O'Hearn was a revelation as well, deserving of a respectable contract. Would be fun to resign him for a deal that works for both sides, but couldn't blame him one bit if he took a nice bag somewhere. Nobody thought he'd be in this spot this time last year
-Can't wait to get Felix Bautista back, what a dominant force he was in the closer role prior to his UCL injury. 61 IP, 33 saves, a 1.48 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 16.2 K/9...I can go on and on and on. Will be a world-class shot in the arm next playoff push
-The bullpen isn't in dire straits however. Yennier Cano was an unexpected stalwart, Cionel Perez righted the ship-- after about three months. Danny Coloumbe was above average, DL Hall was electric. Throw in Tyler Wells and Cole Irvin, and this isn't a weak point for the O's next season. But they could use at least one addition until the Mountain returns
-Something tells me we won't see Jackson Holliday until mid-May or early June, rather then on the Opening Day roster like many are predicting. I won't mind being wrong in this scenario, but his AAA stint was brief and a little extra work there surely wouldn't hurt
Well, this'll be the last you hear from me on the Orioles Report until next March. Those of you who read, shared and commented are very appreciated, I enjoyed all of my interactions with Birdland. Let's hope for a fun offseason. Elias, get on the phone!
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@Choppinglines
*I own no rights to any images found in this blog
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